Central Oklahoma is the top choice to win the Lone Star Conference women's soccer championship according to the league's 2008 preseason poll released Thursday.

      UCO won the regular season title with a perfect 10-0-0 conference record and advanced to the Midwest Regional final in 2007.  The Bronchos own an all-time 69-13-3 mark in league games since the program started in 1998.

      The Bronchos claimed 21 first-place votes among the 27 ballots that were cast by the league's head coaches and sports information directors and various media representatives.  UCO totaled 290 points in the preseason poll to finish in front of its conference opponents.

      Midwestern State was second with one first-place nod and 255 points, while reigning LSC champion West Texas A&M was third with 237 including four first-place votes and Texas A&M-Commerce was fourth with 203 and the other first-place tally.

      Angelo State finished fifth with 182, followed by Texas Woman's 163, Abilene Christian 141, Northeastern State 107, East Central 77, Eastern New Mexico 73 and Southwestern Oklahoma 54.

      The 2008 soccer season starts on the pitch in late August.  Each of the 11 LSC teams will play the other once during the regular season, with the results of those contests to be used in determining the seeds for a six-team postseason conference tournament.  This year's tournament will be hosted by the No. 1 seed on Nov. 6-7-9, 2008.

 

2008 LSC Preseason Soccer Poll		1	TOTAL
1	Central Oklahoma	21	290
2	Midwestern State	1	255
3	West Texas A&M	4	237
4	Texas A&M-Commerce	1	203
5	Angelo State		182
6	Texas Woman's		163
7	Abilene Christian		141
8	Northeastern State		107
9	East Central		77
10	Eastern New Mexico		73
11	Southwestern Oklahoma State		54